


Escaping the Third Night

by Lucy112235



Series: Escape the Night (Different Death Order Survivors Included AU) [2]
Category: escape the night - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-07-23 14:13:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16160540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucy112235/pseuds/Lucy112235
Summary: You guys asked for a sequel, so here ya go!





	1. We Don't Have Any Other Option

Eva had no idea what was going on.

One minute, she was peacefully sleeping next to Oli, the next, she’s in this barren nothingness, with only fog up to her knees and a bridge with a demon face on it.

And when she looks at the bridge, she sees someone. Is it- is that _Joey?_ No, it can’t be, he died, she saw him die-

But Eva blinks, and then Joey is gone.

_Whatever. I must be seeing things._

But now Eva has the problem of what to do, because there's obviously no where to go besides that terrifying bridge.

"Hello?" Eva called. "Anyone?"

Eva heard her name being called, and she looked to her left. No more than a hundred meters away, there was a figure. And though Eva couldn't see very well, it looked  _just_ like-

"Oli?" Eva called again "Is that you?"

 She runs towards Oli, ad he runs towards her. Soon, they crashed into each other.

"Eva?" Oli whispered "Are you okay?"

Eva nodded. Oli pressed a small kiss to her lips. Eva smiled.

But in the distance, she could see two figures- one in a black suit, one in a sparkling purple gown and headdress.

"Wait..." Eva squinted. "Is that Alex and Gabbie?"

"Alex! Gabbie!" Oli shouted.

The two figures ran to them, clearly out of breath.

"Oli? Eva?" Gabbie panted. "Why do you guys look like you're in the 1920s?"

Eva looked down at herself, and she realized she was a 1920s Journalist again. She looked over at Oli, and he had on his 1920s costume too.

"It's from Joey's first party," Oli thought out loud.

"What?" Alex looked confused. So did Gabbie.

"I'll explain it later," Oli said.

"So, should we go to that bridge?" Eva asked.

Gabbie shrugged. "We don't really have any other option."

The four walked over to the bridge, Oli holding Eva's hand.

There was a blonde woman and an asian man waiting for them.

"Hello," The blonde said. "I'm Jael. This is Ryu."

The asian man nodded.

"There's a note on the-" Jael stopped and pointed at Alex and Gabbie. "You two aren't supposed to be here. It was supposed to be Tyler Oakley and Andrea Russett."

Alex and Gabbie eyed each other. What on  _earth_ was she talking about?

Jael shrugged. "Records must've been wrong. But wait-" Jael seemed to love to interrupt herself. She pointed to Oli and Eva's holding hands. "You two are a couple?"

Oli and Eva looked at each other and nodded.

Joel looked confused. "You two aren't supposed to be together."

Oli put a protective arm around Eva. "Um, we're married."

Jael looked startled.

"And I was their maid of honor," Gabbie said.

"And I was their best man," Alex continued.

"Okay, okay. I get it," Jael said. "Just walk-"

"Wait," Gabbie piped up. "If Tyler and Andrea were supposed to be here, how were Alex and I supposed to die?"

Ryu took out a piece of paper and handed it to Jael. She scanned it, folded it back up, and handed it back to Ryu. "Well, Gabbie Hanna it seems you are- you went up against Alex Wassabi- that's you- for the second to last challenge, and though you started in the lead, Alex won even though he helped you. He tried to save you, but he failed. And Alex Wassabi, you were put in the final challenge against Andrea Russett. You picked Joey as your partner, and Andrea picked Tyler. Joey failed to save you."

Alex seemed shaken by that answer.

"Well, just go over the bridge into the portal. There will be a note that will explain everything."

Jael motioned for them to go past her. Oil and Eva went across the bridge and through the portal.

"You ready?" Gabbie asked Alex. He nodded and slipped his hand into hers. They smiled to each other.

"Let's go," Alex said. And with that, they disappeared into the portal.

 

"Oh my gosh, I'm dizzy," Eva stumbled around. All that was there was a table with a long note on it. Everything else was pitch-black.

"Yeah me too," Oli said, legs wobbly. After a moment, he steadied himself and Eva. 

And then there was a flash of light, and Alex and Gabbie were there too.

"Holy crap, I think I'm gonna faint," Gabbie put a hand to her head.

"I got you," Alex said. He put an arm around Gabbie, just in case she  _did_ faint.

"Should I read the note?" Eva asked. Everyone nodded.

 

_Hello Eva Gutowski, Oli White, Gabbie Hanna and Alex Wassabi,_

_I can not reveal to you my identity, but that does not matter. I'm sure you met Jael and Ryu. Good. You will need them later._

_You will be attending another Joey Graceffa event. And I know none of you will go on your own, so you don't have a choice._

_The guests there will be Teala Dunn, Jc Caylen, Manny Mua, Nikita Dragun, Roi Fabito, Colleen Ballinger, Rosanna Pansino, Matthew Patrick, and Safiya Nygaard. However, you may not tell any of them what has happened at previous events. If you do, you will not be able to save your friends._

_If you succeed in your mission and save the town of Everlock, you will be free to save your fallen friends. Fail, and all of you will perish._

_Just go through the door to your left, and you will be there._

_Good luck, a_ _nd remember, there is such a thing as a second chance._

 

 _"Another_ Joey event?" Gabbie groaned.

"Roi is there?" Alex questioned.

"Um, well, we have to go. If we don't, it says we'll perish," Eva noted.

Oli nodded. "Yeah, we don't really have any other option."

And so the four of them walked through the door, fear in their hearts.


	2. You Two Are Married?

There was a flash of light, and they were here.

Oli, Eva, Gabbie and Alex were walking up to a giant doorway with  _ Town of Everlock  _ at the top. The four were with ten other people- the people the note described- Jc, Roi, Teala, Colleen, Rosanna, Safiya, Manny, Nikita, MatPat, and Joey. Oli had no idea how Joey had come back to life, but he decided not to press it. After all, he wanted to save his friends.

Oli, Eva, Gabbie and Alex were at the back of the group, and nobody really seemed to notice them. They were all chattering away.

And then, a  _ terrifying  _ clown burst out of the curtains, a blood-curdling grin slapped across her face. Everyone screamed and stumbled back. Oli wrapped his arm around Eva. He could see Gabbie squeeze Alex’s hand.

“It’s your lucky day! The Carnival’s in town!” The creepy clown shrieked. “There’s a strong man! A snake woman! Dolls with knives! It’s like bloody Christmas everyday!” The clown laughed maniacally. 

The group chuckled nervously. Eva’s face looked terrified, and Oli squeezed her hand as they walked through the gateway.

In front of them was a cute 70s town, with carnival games, food, and other stuff too. What could possibly be dangerous about this place?

 

Eva was looking around, and everything seemed fun, but she wasn’t fooled. Every one of Joey’s parties seemed to good to be true, and it was.

Alex had already talked to a man called Roi Fabito for a while, and now, he was talking to Oli and a man named Matthew Patrick.

Gabbie was talking to Colleen Ballinger since they got there, so Eva figured she should talk to someone as well.

Eva looked over, and Roi was talking to a girl with dark skin and black hair.

_ Wait… is that- _

“Eva!” The girl called to her. Eva was right. It was her old friend, Teala.

“Hi, Teala!” Eva walked over to her and gave her a quick hug. “How are you?”

“I’m good! I-” Teala narrowed her eyes and inspected Eva’s hand. “Is this a  _ wedding  _ ring?”

Eva realized that she hadn’t exactly told Teala about her wedding. In fact, Eva hadn’t told Teala about her and Oli at all.

“Uh…” Eva sheepishly nodded. 

Teala’s eyes grew to the size of saucers. “Oh my god, Eva!  _ Really?!” _

Eva quietly nodded again. Teala screamed.

“Wait, you got married?” Roi asked, as he was listening to their conversation. “Who to?”

Teala turned to Eva, reiterating Roi’s question. 

Eva looked over at Oli. Teala looked at him with a “is-it-true?” expression. Oli smiled and flaunted his matching wedding ring.

Teala spun to Eva for confirmation. Eva quietly nodded.

“Eva! You got married to  _ Oli White  _ and you didn’t tell me?!?!” Teala screeched. 

Teala’s shrieking was loud enough for everyone to hear, and soon, all the guests crowded around her.

“You and Oli are  _ married?  _ I didn’t even know you were together!” said Colleen Ballinger.

“Wait, what?” Rosanna Pansino said, who was previously talking to a woman named Safiya Nygaard.

“You two are  _ married?” _

“Oh my gosh!”

Oli cut in through the crowd and put an arm around Eva. “All right, that’s enough.”

Eva gave him a grateful smile. He kissed her forehead and smiled back at her.

 

“So, Gabbie! How ya been?” asked Colleen Ballinger, talking to Gabbie next to the popcorn stand.

“I’m good. You?” Gabbie replied.

“Erik and I are super happy together-but the fans don’t know it, of course,” Colleen chuckled. “Speaking of which, do you have anyone special in your life?”

Gabbie glanced over at Alex, but she and him were just friends.

Right?

“No, not really,” Gabbie shrugged.

“Mhm. Totally,” Colleen raised an eyebrow.

Gabbie laughed. “You’re so much like me. But really, I’m not into anyone right now.”

Colleen narrowed her eyes. “I don’t believe that for a second.”

Gabbie rolled her eyes playfully. “Who do you think it is, then?” She asked sarcastically.

Colleen smirked. “I have my bets on Alex over there,” She gestured to Alex, who was talking with Oli and another guy named MatPat.

Gabbie turned bright red. “Alex? Oh hell no. We’re just friends.”

Before Colleen could respond, Alex walked over.

“Hey Gabbie, do you wanna ride the ferris wheel with me?” He asked.

Gabbie smiled. “Sure, okay.”

Colleen smirked. She mouthed  _ totally just friends,  _ but Gabbie ignored her.

 

“So, you and Eva are married, huh?” MatPat said as him and Oli stood by one of the carnival games.

It was kind of awkward to tell people you barely know that you just got married on the night everyone might die, but now or never, right?

“Um, yeah,” Oli responded.

“How long?” MatPat asked.

“‘Bout a month,” Oli replied. Matt looked surprised. “You married at all?” 

“Yeah. For six years,” Matt smiled, “With a baby on the way.”

Oli smiled back. “Congrats.”

“Thanks,” said Matt. “Are you thinking of having kids anytime soon?”

Oli turned bright red. “Oh, no. Not for a while.”

Matt laughed.

 

Gabbie sat down on the ferris wheel seat next to Alex. Slowly, they rose higher and higher above Everlock. 

“You know everyone thinks we’re a couple.” She said.

Alex smirked. “You got Oli and Eva together.”

Gabbie laughed. “But that’s different!”

Alex shrugged. “Just ignore them. It’s just teasing.”

Gabbie raised an eyebrow. “Just teasing? Eva thought that you were my date to her and Oli’s wedding. Colleen literally just told me that she thinks we’re a couple.”

Alex almost laughed. “Why? They barely see us together. They’ve got no evidence.”

“No evidence?” Gabbie smirked. “You slow danced with me. You held my hand. For god's sake, Alex, you asked me to ride a ferris wheel with you! That’s like a classic first move.”

Alex chuckled. “In eighth grade.”   
Gabbie laughed. “Fine. You’ve got a point.”

After a moment of silence, Alex piped up.    
“Do you feel something under the blanket?”

Gabbie nodded. Alex looked under the blanket and pulled out a newspaper.

“The Clowns Here Kill.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who the first victim is!
> 
> (MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA)
> 
> Note: I am sorry, guys. I will not be updating until at least Friday afternoon due to a camping trip. Sorry for the inconvenience.


	3. Third Time's the Charm

Eva can’t believe she was doing this.

This was her- what, sixteenth round of voting? She had lost count. Will this ever end?

And now there are  _ fourteen  _ people to choose from. Her, Oli, Alex, Gabbie, Joey, Teala, Jc, Roi, Nikita, Manny, Colleen, Rosanna, Safiya and MatPat. 

There’s a couple people Eva could rule out easily. Her, Oli, Alex, Gabbie and Teala were out of the question. She remembers Sierra- the friend she lost a thousand years ago- and how Eva betrayed her. It couldn’t happen again. 

Matt and Safiya were super helpful, so not them. Gabbie was close with Colleen, so not her either. Eva got the impression that if she voted Nikita or Manny, the other would be furious. Ro was just too adorable.

So that left Jc and Roi. 

And as much as Eva thought that Roi and Teala were close, Jc was more helpful.

Eva sadly picked up a Daredevil card and handed it to Calliope.

 

Oli had never been more fed up with something.

He hated this. He hated it so much. Why couldn’t he just be happy at home with Eva?

Oli had survived this twice, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that the third time would be the charm. Of course, that was definitely not a  _ good  _ thing.

But why? Oli had done puzzles so many times, it took him mere seconds to complete them. The group thought that he, Eva, Alex and Gabbie were puzzle masters. There’s no way he would get voted in.

So why did Oli have the sinking feeling that he would  _ die? _

Oli’s eyes travelled to Eva. She was sitting next to him, her eyes locked on the floor, guilt and pain evident on her face.

“Eva?” Oli squeezed her hand. “Are you ok?”

Tears coated her beautiful brown eyes as Eva looked up at him. Her expression told Oli everything he needed to know.

Oli wrapped his arms around Eva and pulled her into a hug, tears threatening to escape both pairs of eyes. But they couldn’t cry, everyone was watching them.

_ I can’t… I can’t… _

 

Gabbie hated herself.

Teala and Roi really didn’t help, but that doesn’t mean they should  _ die.  _ Plus, Eva was close with Teala, and Alex was close with Roi. 

And Roi and Teala were close with each other.

So who?

Nikita, Colleen and Manny were Gabbie’s kind of people. They spoke their mind, straight to the point, and were total badasses. But Gabbie did have a soft spot for Ro, MatPat and Safiya, since those three seemed to be spending a lot of time together.

Gabbie didn’t know why, but somehow, she couldn’t bring herself to vote Roi in. Every time she thought of it, Alex’s face flashed across her mind.

And she had no freakin’ idea why that paralyzed her.

Gabbie quietly tapped a Super Spy card and ran back to her seat before she could see Calliope shuffle it into the deck.

_ I’m sorry, Eva… _

 

Alex is  _ so scared. _

Not for himself, not for Gabbie, not for Oli or Eva, but for Roi.

People kept saying he was useless (especially that Nikita girl), but Alex knew that wasn’t true. He did a  _ heck  _ lot more than Teala.

Speaking of Teala, Alex knew that both Roi and Eva were close with her, but he couldn’t deny that he  _ did  _ vote for her.

And it’s eating away at him.

And that thing Oli said- about Joey’s first party- what was that? Did he and Eva attend a party before the one in the victorian era? The two of them  _ were  _ going to warn everyone about something…

Alex didn’t know, and the questions in his brain swirled round and round like a tornado.

Calliope was shuffling the cards, and his heart prayed and hoped that him, Gabbie, Oli, Eva, or Roi weren’t picked.

Calliope drew a card.

“The Super Spy,” she said seriously. Eva put her head in her hands. Roi gripped Teala’s hand worriedly, and Teala gave a watery smile back at him. 

Calliope picked another card. “The Daredevil.”

Alex stopped.  _ That’s Roi. That’s actually Roi. And Roi’s going into a challenge, and what if he doesn’t make it- just like Lauren- just like Tyler- oh god… _

Teala picked MatPat as her partner, and as much as Alex is praying to the gods for Roi to survive, he knows that he is in no way ready to be Roi’s partner.

So he picked Safiya.  _ Reliable choice,  _ Alex thought.  _ He’s got a chance. _

 

Eva was freaking out.

Teala was in a  _ death challenge,  _ and though Safiya seems super smart (like,  _ crazy  _ smart), Eva  _ needs  _ MatPat to beat her. Then Teala will come back, and then they’ll see that she’s not useless, and then Sierra will forgive Eva.

But what if he doesn’t? What if Safiya beats MatPat? No, that can’t happen,  _ Teala’s got to come back… _

Oli wrapped his arm around her, and his presence soothed her nerves a little.    
_ Come on, Teala… _

 

Gabbie had no idea what was going on.

She wanted to be around Alex  _ all the dang time,  _ and everytime he looked at her she got a storm of butterflies in her gut. 

Is that normal?

Gabbie knew that’s what books say when you have a crush on someone, but she didn’t have feelings for Alex. There was Lauren, and Lauren was going to come back, and then Alex would be happy with her.

Gabbie and Alex were just friends.

Right?

 

Oli saw Mortimer and Calliope walk into the lounge. There were three people behind them- Safiya, MatPat, and a third person he couldn’t identify.

“Teala?” Oli could hear Eva whisper. He squeezed his wife’s hand.

Safiya and MatPat stepped aside, and revealed Roi Fabito, eyes glossed over, head down.

_ “Roi!”  _ Alex sprung to his feet. He practically jumped on his old friend. Roi returned the embrace.

Oli looked back at Eva. Her eyes filled with tears.

“W-where’s Teala?” She stammered. 

The mention of Teala’s name caused Roi to turn away, hiding tears, probably. MatPat looked ashamed. Safiya finally stepped up.

“Eva, I’m sorry. Teala’s gone.”

Oli already knew what was coming. Eva looked like she had been stabbed in the gut, and something hit her  _ hard.  _ Not just Teala’s death but something more.

Oli wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a long hug as she quietly cried into his shoulder. No one dared to speak.

Joey, Nikita and Colleen looked sad, but a sort of satisfaction was evident in their faces. Nikita especially. 

_ What a jerk. Teala died, and you are  _ satisfied?

This place was getting to all of them.

_ I can’t stay here much longer. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIP Teala. Credit to canufeelthemagictonight (@leahmerone) for guessing correctly!


	4. Panic Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teala's gone. But no time to wait, time for more death!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I really am terrible. I really appreciate y'all for staying with me as I like NEVER POST, and you guys being excited for this really fueled me to write the majority of this chapter in about 2 hours.
> 
> Nice!

Eva’s heart ached even looking at the voting cards.

The fact that she didn’t see Teala’s card was just a hard, cruel reminder that she was gone, that Eva failed to save her, just like Sierra and Lele and Lauren and Liza and  _ oh god- _

“Calliope, we don’t have to keep doing this,” MatPat said, sitting back down next to Manny.

“It must be done,” Calliope said blankly. Eva was still on the edge about her. Arthur was evil, and Alison was good. So what were Calliope and Mortimer?

Jc fiddled his hands. He had knocked over the serpent’s tower, which meant he was going in the challenge. Eva felt bad for him.

“Eva, it’s your turn,” Calliope called to her. Eva quietly walked over to the table. She couldn’t pick Roi again, Alex would fall apart. As much as Manny would be mad at her, Eva handed a Troublemaker card to Calliope. NIkita had been targeting Teala, after all.

 

Oli’s brain kept trying to find a reason to tell himself it was okay.

It was not okay. He knew that. People were voting each other to  _ die,  _ for god’s sake. And that gut feeling that Oli was going to die just kept getting stronger.

He had voted for Nikita, because a. She hadn’t been doing much, and b. She had targeted both Teala and Roi, who were both close to people he was close to. 

Eva was still emotionally shattered from Teala’s death, and it broke Oli’s heart to see her that way. He knew he needed to survive for her, she couldn’t take another heartbreak.

Calliope drew a card. Oli squeezed Eva’s hand.

Calliope flipped the card around…

With Gabbie’s face right on it.

 

“The Vaudevillian.”   
Her name hit Gabbie’s ears like a hammer. Who voted for her? Why?  _ What did I do? _

Eva buried her head in her hands. Alex squeezed Gabbie’s hand, and though she appreciated the gesture, it didn’t help the fact that she might  _ die,  _ that this might be the end.

Gabbie hoped she can beat Jc. At least it wasn’t Matt or Safiya.  _ Or Alex, or Eva, or Oli, or Colleen... _

“Gabbie, Jc,” Mortimer gestured. “Follow me.”

The two walked out with Mortimer and Calliope at their side.

 

Gabbie was scared out of her  _ mind. _

That Snake Woman fearfully reminded her of Jorogumo, and how Gabbie let Jesse die in favor of Alex. And that just reminded her of Lauren’s death, and Liza’s death, and  _ oh god- _

“We’re here,” Mortimer said flatly.

The Snake Woman’s lair is more terrifying than Gabbie could’ve ever imagined. It’s marked with a doorway with a snake’s face on it, like the demon bridge.  _ Even that was better than this. _

The Snake Woman’s eyes were set on Gabbie and Jc, and she shuddered.

After putting on their jumpsuits, Calliope hands the two of them the rules.\

_ Search the intestines of the great serpent to find the missing pieces of your mosaic. A completed image is at the end of the snake to guide you. The first to do so will be able to retrieve the heart, and the other will be poisoned by the Snake Woman. _

Gabbie remembered when Roi and Jc were poisoned earlier, and she shook away the thought of dying.

“Are you ready?” Calliope questioned. Both YouTubers gave nervous nods.

“Go!”

 

_ Gabbie’s in a challenge. _

That phrase kept re-playing in Alex’s mind. It felt like someone had stabbed him in the gut, and he was bleeding all over, in complete agony. It was the same feeling he got when Lauren died. 

And he had no idea why.

Alex didn’t give a shit when Gabbie was voted into the spider challenge. All he cared about was that Lauren was safe.

But now…

Alex was freaking out.

His heart was beating so loud he was sure everyone could hear it, his hands were sweating, and it felt like he was having a full blown panic attack.

“Woah,” someone put their hand on his shoulder. Alex could just tell from their energy that it was Oli. “Take a deep breath.”

“Alex, are you ok?” Another voice said. It sounded like Roi.

“Mfine…” Alex murmured.  _ Why is the room spinning? _

“Here,” Calliope raised a glass to his lips. “Drink this.”

A sip of water trickled down Alex’s throat. He coughed, but his vision cleared a bit.

“Woah, Alex, what happened?” Eva said, standing behind Oli.

“N-nothing,” Alex stammered. He tried to stand up, gripping Roi’s arm.

“Dude, that was  _ not  _ nothing,” Roi steadied him, setting Alex back down on the couch. Oli sat next to him.

“Gabbie…” Alex murmured.  _ Oh crap. Now- _

But it was too late. Eva already had that stupid grin on her face.

“Gabbie, huh?” She tried not to laugh.

_ Oh, shut up. _

“Wait, what’s going on between Alex and Gabbie?” Oli asked, confused. Eva whispered something in his ear.

“Nothing,” Alex said.

_ Right? _

 

Gabbie couldn’t feel anything anymore.

Her hands were numb from rummaging in these disgusting,  _ disgusting  _ snake intestines. It’s cold, and numb, and there’s no freakin’  _ way  _ she can find that piece.

_ At least I’d see Lauren and Liza again. _

_ Shut up, me! Live! For Alex! For Eva and Oli and Colleen! _

Her hand brushed against something cold, but smooth unlike everything else.

_ Hell yes! I found it! _ _   
_ Gabbie’s heels pounded against the dirt ground as she ran faster than she ever had before. She placed the final piece into the mosaic, illuminating it.

“No!” 

She whipped around. The Snake Woman was tackling Jc to the ground, screams piercing the air. Gabbie covered her mouth with her hands, but she could hear Mortimer and Calliope yelling at her to grab the heart. She covered the sides of her face as she ran past Jc, trying not to see the awful sight.

“I’m sorry, Jc!” Gabbie yelled. She grabbed the heart out of the weird box thing, and ran over to Mortimer and Calliope.

“Squeeze it over the artifact!” Calliope said, rushing. “Quickly!”

There was nothing she wanted to do  _ less,  _ but Gabbie squeezed the heart over the serpent’s head. It felt squishy and gross, but she could see the Snake Woman fading away.

_ Serves her right. _

 

Eva felt so sick to her stomach.

As much as she wanted to tease Alex on his frankly  _ humongous  _ crush on Gabbie, she couldn’t. Not after Teala, not when her best friend might be dead.

_ Gabbie, please, I can’t lose you, not after Teala, not after Lauren and Liza and Lele and Sierra and please… _

She rocked back and forth in her chair, Oli’s hand on her shoulder. As much as she loved her husband, it just wasn’t enough.

_ Come on, Gabbie… _

Mortimer and Calliope walk in, holding Gabbie’s headdress.

“Why do you have that?” Alex stood up. Eva almost smirked, but her brain was too overcome with  _ Gabbie’s dead Gabbie’s dead my best friend is dead and she’s dead and oh god- _

“What the hell?” Colleen stood up as well. “Where’s Gabbie?”   
“Where’s Jc?” Roi asked.

Everyone was silent for a few moments, before a triumphant Gabbie Hanna walked into the room.

“Gabbie!” Eva cried. Oli breathed a sigh of relief.

Alex hugged Gabbie, and this time, Eva let herself smirk.

“Ok, Alex,” Eva playfully rolled her eyes. “Leave some room for the rest of us.”   
Alex stepped away, bright red. Eva threw her arms around Gabbie, as did Colleen, followed by Safiya, and then Rosanna.

And for that moment, there was happiness in the town of Everlock. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIP Jc. I bet no one expected that!


	5. Confessions, Realizations & Heartbreak

First short straw is Safiya, second is Alex.

“I pick…” Safiya’s eyes flickered between Matt and Rosanna, trying to pick who to choose. “Matt.”

Matt briskly walked over to her, sharing a high five.

“Hmm…” Alex contemplated. “Gabbie.”

Oli raised an eyebrow as Gabbie walked over to Alex. Maybe Eva was right.  _ Maybe there is something between them. _

This time, Safiya doesn’t hesitate. “Ro.”

Rosanna quietly walked over to her, where Safiya pulled her into a warm hug.

_ Come on, Alex! Pick me! I’m your best friend! _

“Oli,” Alex called to him.

Oli quickly walked over to him.  _ Pick Eva,  _ he whispered in Alex’s ear.  _ We can’t fight each other. _

Safiya’s eyes went from Nikita to Manny, trying to pick who was most helpful. “Manny.”

The Record Produce did a pretend hair flip as he sashayed over to Safiya. Nikita and Joey laughed. Matt gave him a small smile.

“Eva,” Alex called.  _ Thank you.  _ Oli squeezed his wife’s hand. She smiled at him.

“Nikita,” Safiya said blankly, no doubt persuaded by Manny.

Nikita sauntered over like Manny, standing right next to him.

_ Colleen,  _ Oli could hear Gabbie whisper into Alex’s ear. Alex nodded.

“Colleen.”

The flamboyant Disco Dancer seemed to mimic the “sass squad” in the way she briskly walked over next to Gabbie. Humming a cheery tune, she struck a pose, prompting several laughs from the crowd.

Alex’s eyes widened as (Oli guessed) he realized that the other group might pick Roi.

Safiya looked from Joey to Roi, certain people quietly chanting for either person.

“Roi.”

Alex sighed. Gabbie put a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him.

“Mkay. Fine. No big deal,” Joey said bitterly as he walked over to Colleen. She warily eyed him. 

 

.=+=.

 

“Well, we lost,” Manny said bitterly as his group entered the lounge. Eva’s group was waiting for them.

“This is all your fault, Roi!” Nikita spat.

“No, it isn’t!” Alex and Roi said at the same time. 

“You didn’t do anything!” Nikita snapped.  _ Chill, Nikita. _

“Can we all just stop fighting?” Rosanna peeped. Matt and Safiya nodded in agreement.

“Amen to that,” Joey said, relaxing on the couch.

“Whatever. Let’s just start voting.”

Eva sat down on the couch. She was happy that her, Oli, Gabbie and Alex were safe, but she was still sad about the other team, some people in particular.

Eva saw a bit of herself in Safiya- well, more what she used to be, back at the first party. Saf was smart, dependable, and saved someone’s life. Eva also saw a bit of Sierra come out in Rosanna- sweet, innocent, nice to everyone. She even saw a tiny bit of Lele in Nikita- and that made the Troublemaker a little more bearable. Tyler was evident in Manny, and Alex was evident in MatPat. Neither one was she especially close to, but still.

“Now it is time to vote,” Calliope said flatly.

First was Rosanna, then Safiya, then Matt, then Manny, then Nikita, then Colleen, then Gabbie, and then Eva. She quietly walked up to the voting table, faces staring at her like prisoner’s convicted of crimes.

“Do I have to?” Eva whispered to Calliope.

“I’m very sorry, Eva,” Calliope responded, gesturing to the cards. “But it must be done.”

Eva warily eyed her, before sighing and pointing at a Daredevil card. She knew that Alex would hate her for it, and that Gabbie or Oli would take his side.

But there was no good option.

 

Next up was Oli.

He hated this  _ so much.  _ He would give  _ anything  _ just to be at home with Eva and Alex and Gabbie forever. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be happening anytime soon.

Matt and Safiya were too helpful, plus they would kill Oli if he voted for Rosanna. Roi was out of the question (Alex, duh), so that left Nikita and Manny.

Oli  _ really  _ didn't know who. He closed his eyes and picked a random card.

He walked away before he could see a Daredevil card shuffle into the deck.

 

After him was Alex.

Just  _ looking  _ at Roi’s card brought back a tidal wave of painful memories, of Tyler and Lauren and everyone else. Sure, that note said that they could save them but, Alex has learned not to trust those things.

Matt, Safiya and Rosanna seem pretty helpful and nice. Manny and Nikita though…

Alex reached out and grabbed a Troublemaker card.

 

“The first into the challenge is…”   
_ Come on, not me, I was just in a challenge. Not Alex,  _ please.  _ Not Eva or Oli. Please? _

“...The Daredevil.” 

Alex buried his head in his hands. For some reason, Alex being sad was like a stab to the heart to Gabbie- so,  _ so  _ painful.

“The second person that will be going into the challenge is....”

_ Please… _

“...The Investigative Reporter.”

There was a collective gasp from the group. Obviously, no one was expecting this. Matt and Rosanna looked heartbroken.

“You two, please follow me.”

 

Alex knew this should be worse.

He expected this to be  _ so much worse  _ than when Gabbie was voted in, cause  _ duh,  _ Alex has known Roi since the beginning of time.

But oddly enough, it wasn’t.

This time, he didn’t feel the raging agony. He didn’t feel like the room was spinning.

It was all… quiet. Blank. Dreary.

“Hey Alex, you okay?” Gabbie whispered. Alex snapped out of his trance. Her presence seemed to comfort him, soothing his nerves a bit.

“I-I’m fine…” Alex stammered. Gabbie laid her head on his shoulder. The two of them stayed there for a while before Eva came and grabbed Gabbie’s hand.

“Come with me,” Eva pulled Gabbie up. “We need to talk.”

 

“Eva, what are you doing?” Gabbie asked. She had an inkling what Eva was going to ask her about, but she  _ really  _ didn’t want to talk about it.

Eva sat her down on a couch near the door. “You need to admit it.”   
“Admit what?” Gabbie asked.

“You like Alex. Alex likes you. Admit it.”

Gabbie froze. She didn’t  _ like  _ Alex. They were friends, except that sometimes, well…

...she found herself wanting to be more.

“Eva, that’s ridiculous. Alex is still grieving over Lauren,” Gabbie protested.

“Gabbie, Lauren’s in the past. We all miss her, but you and Alex like each other,” Eva tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“No we don’t,” Gabbie said stubbornly.

“Fine. List the things that you like about Alex.”   
“No, that’s weird.”   
“Gabbie, just do it!”

“Fine,” Gabbie sighed. “Well, he’s smart, and kind, and funny, and caring, and understanding, and he laughs at my stupid jokes, and he’s pretty good looking and  _ oh shit I’m in love with Alex!” _

Gabbie’s brain tried to contemplate why the heck that was the case, and all the wrongs to it, but all she could do was have a stupid grin on her face.

Eva smiled. “Told ya.”   
Gabbie playfully punched her on the arm. “Shut up.”

 

Calliope and Mortimer came into the room. Everyone was on their toes on who would follow.

Soon, a somber Safiya Nygaard walked in. She was quickly greeted by hugs from Matt and Rosanna, but the hard reality soon hit them all.

“R-Roi… where’s Roi…” Alex stammered.

“I’m sorry, Alex,” Calliope looked down.

Tears began to well up in his eyes. Gabbie knew what was coming, so she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. Alex grasped her tightly, quietly crying into her shoulder.

Another fallen victim to this horrible town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIP Roi, the innocent smol bean. The same first 3 deaths, just in a different order! Bet no one expected that!


	6. Time's Up

Alex was in shock.

No more than an hour ago, Roi, his oldest friend, died in a challenge against the presumably “unbeatable” Safiya Nygaard. Not that Alex blamed her for Roi’s death, but still…

There were only boys going into this next challenge, which left him as 1 in 5 people to choose from. It was nerve wracking, to be honest. The thought of going up against Oli or Manny terrified him. They were both stronger than Alex, and  _ duh,  _ Oli was his best friend.

Matt and Joey both lost to Alex, Matt getting a round farther. So if Alex was voted in with either of them, he would be fine. 

_ Oli’s going to be fine no matter what. He’s the strongest out of everybody. _

It was true. The Big Game Hunter had even beaten  _ Manny,  _ which was an impressive feat. 

“Hey Alex?” Eva sat down next to him. “I need to talk to you.”

“Uh, okay,” Alex replied. “What do you want to talk to me about?”

“Can we come over here?” Eva walked over to a couch near the doorway.

“Um… sure, I guess,” Alex responded, sitting down on the couch. He had a sinking feeling about what Eva was going to talk about, so clearly that he started to turn red.

“Okay,” Eva put her hands on her knees. “I’ll just get straight to the point. You like Gabbie.”

“No, I don’t,” Alex responded. 

“Yes you do,” Eva said stubbornly.

“No I don’t!”

“Yes you do!

“No I don’t!”

“Yes you do!”

“FINE!” Alex sunk into the couch. “Fine. You got me. I like her. Are you happy now?”

Eva had a humongous grin on her face. “As a matter of fact, Gabbie likes-”

“It’s time to vote!” Calliope unintentionally interrupted. 

“Well, uh,” Alex stood up. “Good talk.”

 

Oli’s heart was aching.

He knew he was safe. Even if he got voted in, he would be fine.

Right?   
Then why did he have the sinking that he was going to die? Oli was the strongest. Literally no one could beat him, it was proven. Even the strongest, Manny, Alex, etc., couldn’t beat Oli.

As for who he should vote for…

Alex was completely off the table. Matt was helpful, and Oli and him were starting to become friends. Joey- Oli was still confused on how he was here, but didn’t want to risk anything.

So that left one person.

Oli pointed to a Record Producer card and sulked back to his seat.

 

“The first into the challenge is…”

Eva braced herself.

_ Not Oli. Not Alex. Please, I’m begging, not Oli. _

“The Big Game Hunter.”

Oli’s name hit Eva’s ears like a hammer to a nail. Tears started to form in the Journalist’s keen eyes. A breath was sucked from her mouth. She pursed her lips, her eyes shut tight. Painful memories flashed across her mind; the circus, Oli going under, the pain overwhelming Eva, and the electric chairs, his screams of agony, and last year, the promethean challenge, the gauntlet...

_ Oli? Please let him survive, I can’t lose him… _

“I’ll survive, I promise,” Oli whispered to Eva. “For you.” He squeezed her hand, but she couldn’t bring herself to smile.

 

“The next into the challenge is…”

_ Universe, are you out there? Please, just not Alex. Anyone but Alex. _

“The Novelist.”

Oli sunk into his seat. It was him against his best friend, the second most important person in his life. 

Both Eva and Gabbie seemed conflicted, but it was clear who they each were rooting for. 

Alex whispered something in Gabbie’s ear, and she whispered something back.

_ Does Gabbie want me to die? _

“Ok, you two have to get changed for this,” Calliope announced. Oli took a double take.

_ Changed? For a challenge? Like the circus?  _

His mind circled back to two years ago exactly, when he and Tim had to do that  _ awful  _ circus challenge. He almost  _ died.  _ They  _ both  _ almost died. But the look on Eva’s face was the most awful thing of all.

“Oli, Alex,” Mortimer gestured to them. “Follow me.”

They walked into the arcade. Mortimer and Calliope told Oli and Alex to wait.

After a moment, Alex spoke up. “Oli,” his voice crumbled. “You’re- you’re my best friend. I know I’m going to lose anyway- so just- remember me when I’m gone. Okay?”

Oli nodded. He opened his mouth to say something, but Alex stopped him.

“Wait, there’s more,” Alex shushed him. “I know I won’t make it. So please, tell Gabbie how I feel.”

Oli was confused. “Wait, how do you feel about Gabbie?”

“I- I just…” Alex trailed off. “Whatever. I’m dying anyway. Might as well tell you. I-I like her, like, a lot. She’s- she just means so much to me. I think I would go insane without her. I know, I know, Lauren, but… I just can’t…”

Oli nodded again, not needing to hear more. “And if I lose...”

Alex scoffed. “Oli, you’re not going to lose.”

“Just- please,” Oli looked down. “I know Eva. She’ll blame herself if I lose, for whatever stupid reason. Tell her that it’s not her fault… and that I love her more than she could ever know.”

Alex nodded. He almost teased Oli on how cheesy that statement was, but he figured it wasn’t the time.

 

.=+=.

 

Gabbie’s heart was racing.

Logically, it made sense to root for Oli, cause  _ duh,  _ she didn’t want her best friend’s husband to  _ die.  _ And yet…

Her heart kept telling her to root for Alex.

“Oli,  _ come on!”  _ Eva yelled. “You can do this!”

Oli and Alex were head- to head in running back from Fat Man Slims, a dumbbell in each of their hands. Eva’s cheering just added salt to Gabbie’s wounds of guilt.

_ Come on, Alex.  _ Gabbie prayed.  _ I can’t lose you. Please. _

 

Oli’s heart was still uneasy what to do.

Part of him said  _ survive, for Eva, you can’t leave her alone, you love her, you need to survive,  _ while another part said  _ Alex has suffered too much, he’s your best friend, Gabbie would be devastated, let him win,  _ but one look in Eva’s eyes surged a river of adrenaline through Oli.

Alex was neck-in-neck with him.  _ I just gotta go faster. _

Oli pushed harder, faster, but his right leg hit something in the sand. His foot tripped, feet from the finish line, and Alex surged past.

Gabbie cheered. Eva covered her face. Everyone else looked on edge.

 

“It’s 2-2,” Mortimer announced. “Time for a tie-breaker.”

They brought out the arm-wrestling table. Alex’s shoulders slumped. 

_ Oli, your gonna win. Just please, don’t forget me. And tell Gabbie how I feel. I’ll miss you, old friend. _

“Or they could just be free!” Rosanna suggested.

“Yeah, we could let them go!” Eva and Gabbie joined in.  _ Believe me, I would like that. _

Mortimer ignored them. Alex and Oli positioned their arms.

“I love you, man,” Alex whispered. “Don’t forget me.”

Oli’s eyes widened. “Wait, what?”   
“And… begin!”

_ I’m sorry, Oli. I know I’m not going to win. _

_ But I’m going to try. _

Oli was pushing with all his might, but Alex was determined to give a fight.  _ Maybe, if this goes on long enough, we’ll both win. _

 

_ Come on, I got this, go go go go go go go- _

Each person was yelling for someone else, it was unrecognizable. Oli was trying to focus, because he  _ had  _ to win, he  _ needed  _ to-

Oli’s eyes locked with Alex’s for a moment.

It’s a second, a mere second, but everything Oli had ever lost flashed before his eyes.

_ Tim. Tyler. Lauren. Lele.  _ Names crossed his mind, their deaths on replay. Oli could hear and see everything that horror game had taken from him, him and his beautiful wife, and his amazing best friend, and Eva’s best friend, and anyone who had the tragedy of being invited to one of Joey’s parties.

For a split second, Oli’s arm went limp.

But in a horror game, a slip second is enough to guarantee death.

Alex slammed his arm on the table.

Oli’s mind tried to contemplate what that meant, that he was dead, that his life was over, and he  _ knew  _ he was going to die, and everything was done.

_ I have one moment. _

Oli had a slip second to say one thing, to one person there. All he had. But he knew exactly how he was going to use it.

 

“You ready to die?” The Strongman growled at Oli. Eva’s mind raced with  _ Oli’s going to die Oli’s going to die why Oli why my Oli why not anyone else please let this be a dream Oli can’t die- _

Oli ran past the demon. He gripped Eva’s hands.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“Wait, what?” Eva’s eyes shook between Oli and the Strongman.

“You gotta live,” Oli kissed Eva’s cheek. “Don’t forget me.”   
Before Eva could say anything else, her husband was ripped out of her arms into the Strongman’s. The demon’s arms were soon around Oli’s neck. Eva tried to run forward, but Veronica blocked her. Someone grabbed Eva’s arms and began to drag her back.

_ “No! Oli!”  _ Eva screamed.  _ “Oli, please! NO!” _

The world seemed so much darker, so much crueler, as the once peaceful night cornered Eva like a fearsome predator. She continued to scream Oli’s name, as he was thrown on the ground, as he was bashed again and again. She continued to scream until her voice grew hoarse. Her throat ached, her head ached, but most of all, her heart ached, like a dagger was sinking into it. Everything hurt, everything was agony, and for a moment, Eva wished she was dead.

After a while, she collapsed on the couch, tears soaking her golden cheeks. A pair of arms wrapped around her, and then another, and then another. So much love, so much comfort, but yet, none at all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIP Oli. Innocent Cinnamon Roll. You will be missed. And not just by Eva.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave your death predictions in the comments below!


End file.
